Teaching the Immorality

"Mommy, turn it off. Niagara Falls' water will run out and it will go drip, drip, drip..." Sienna gave out the command when the tape water was left running.

I told the husband how our daughter had taught me to conserve the energy and save the world's environment. Sienna started a real crying session: "I don't want you to say what I said... You laugh at me and laughing at people is rude..." I extended my apology based on the fact that she did seem to get hurt. I wonder why she gets upset every time I try to tell people about what she says or acts - even there is nothing negative about it. I could be more sensitive and tell others no story about her in front of her. But I would rather that she uses less of her sensitivity there. After her crying, I said, "I didn't try to laugh at you. We thought you were really cute to say things like that. Even if people laugh at you, what are you going to do? You cry? Then people would really laugh at you for your crying."

A check with reality -- highly recommended in teaching morality. It's one thing to tell kids what people should be or what she should be. It's another to show what the reality is and get her ready to face it.